“For this reason, because the king’s command was harsh and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell into the middle of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up quickly; he said to his counselors, “Was it not three men that we threw bound into the middle of the fire?” They replied to the king, “Absolutely, O king.” He responded, “Look! I see four men untied and walking about in the middle of the fire unharmed, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!” Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the Most High God, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came out of the middle of the fire.” (Daniel 3:22-26 NASB)
It’s Monday, so here is your Monday Short meditation. Though it is short, remember it for a long time. Retain it for a life time! Will you do that for me?
Believers are not exempt from experiencing any one of a plethora of problems that can be classified as figurative fiery furnaces. When that happens to you, and it will, when you find yourself in the middle of anything that endangers your being and attempts to eliminate you from being effective as the Lord’s witness, and it will, just be like the three Hebrew boys above. Surrender your bodies to the Lord! Stay steadfast in your faith! Stand, relying on your conviction that you serve a God who is able! Surprise your opposition that through it all, you could not make it! Send out the expression that explains that you serve a God who is able! See the Most High God protect you, prove to others that trust in God is not to be abandoned, regardless of what you have to go through, and prevail until your change comes. Let’s shorten all that: Surrender, stay steadfast, stand, and see.
Make sure that the Lord is present with you through your figurative fiery furnace. If you do that, let me tell you what will happen. Can I do that? Thank you for your permission. If you do that, in the midst of the fires of life, you will be untied, unharmed, ultimately brought out, and you will have an undeniable impact on somebody who needs to understand that God is real and that He is the only true and living God. Have a great week! Be blessed!
“Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and rescued His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king’s command, and surrendered their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or population of any language that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses made a rubbish heap, because there is no other god who is able to save in this way.” Then the king made Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego prosperous in the province of Babylon.” (Daniel 3:28-30 NASB)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King